Slashdot Mirror
Dell To Offer Open Source Bundles
ruphus13 writes "Dell has been offering Linux-based machines for a while, especially its Server-class machines. Now, Dell has decided that there are several open source applications that are ready for mainstream consumers. From the post, 'While we've all been speculating about whether Dell is working on Android netbooks, the computer hardware and software vendor was busy bundling open source applications to offer to small- and medium-sized business customers looking for low-cost alternatives to commercial software. The pre-configured "SMB-in-a-box" software is only available in the US for now, but Dell expects to launch a similar offering in Asia by the end of 2009... Although no specifics have been given about which apps are included in Dell's first bundle, it is aimed at the retail sector.' It is going to be interesting to see what Dell picks as the 'must-have' applications for the SMB market."
I read TFA and also TFA linked from TFA (original sources, anyone?). I'm left wondering whether this is a new Dell distro of Linux, a package bundle on top of Linux or Windows, a package list for something like Kickstart or another automated OS installer, or a consulting and integration lineup with a preferred set of software.
With Dell talking about wanting to be a services company as much as a box-pusher and specifically mentioning training and support in TOFA, it wouldn't surprise me if this was a consulting group within the company. It's worded as if it's just a selection of software pre-installed, though, like they already do with crap bloatware and trialware.
As long as the bundled software doesn't start to act like the ad-ridden "free" software that has come with any PC I've purchased in the last decade, I'll be happy.
Stale old trolls aside, I would think Dell is more interested in putting OpenOffice and Firefox and GIMP on the Windows desktop than Linux.
The World Wide Web is dying. Soon, we shall have only the Internet.
If this means that they're going to offer bundles to retailers, I'd really be interested in seeing what POS software they decide to bundle. I've been looking for open source POS software for several years now, and there's really nothing out there for small to medium retailers out there that's even remotely competitive with stuff for Windows. If they can find something decent, they'll take a huge share of the retail market.
What I really want to know is why would someone spend their time posting this tired old drivel over and over... and over... and over again. It's not really going to work very well as astroturfing... and it's certainly not funny.
Ultimately, on the scale of what's "cool", pressing submit on the parent post is about as far below a "level 5 dwarf" as a "level 5 dwarf" is below a threesome with Jessica Alba and Scarlett Johansson.
1998 called. It wants it's FUD back.
A Pirate and a Puritan look the same on a balance sheet.
Hmmm...I disagree in part:
For most distro's Linux is far from being ready for the desktop for a variety of reasons. Fedora 11 came out yesterday and it couldn't be more involved to get working (I still can't get the proper alsa drivers installed!...oh and dropping out to shell is for some reason impossible for me?) but the ever popular Ubuntu is just about ripe for the picking in business environments.
The learning curve to admin a Linux network may be fairly involved, but to just use it to process documents and surf the web (which is most desk jobs) there is no learning curve. Example: my wife couldn't be more computer illiterate. Her notebook has been on the fritz lately due to hardware issues so she's been back and forth between my netbook running Ubuntu and my desktop running Windows 7. For someone who's only really used XP for the past couple of years she found each OS equally user friendly. To be fair I'm using the Ubuntu Netbook Remix which has really big buttons that say exactly what a particular app is and does, but she still understands the basic Applications>Internet>Firefox.
That said I also understand there are more specialized applications that are better suited for Windows for certain professionals. By no means is Linux a viable option for every situation, however the Ubuntu desktop option is certainly valid enough to be offered. The learning curve for basic use is all but non-existent and over-stated. If a small business can save $100 per PC for their receptionists and account executives by using Ubuntu and OpenOffice.org what is wrong with giving them the option? I for one have respect for Dell for being this open minded :)
P.S. I've been playing with Edubuntu and Sugar (OLPC) on SD cards on my netbook for my 2-year-old and even SHE understands how to use it...to a certain extent....well she understands banging on the keyboard makes things happen. Also she understands 'sudo give me ice cream' gets her a nice bowl of vanilla.
The average user doesn't want to spend months learning how to use a CLI to cut their wireless card's firmware
mr_mischief wrote:
That's funny, because even so minor a distro as Puppy works with my wireless immediately upon installation.
Some people are lucky to own WLAN or 3G hardware manufactured by a company friendly to free software. You are; Anonymous Coward likely isn't. But if you buy a PC with free software preinstalled, you can at least have some level of assurance that free software supports your hardware.
The last thing I want is a level 5 dwarf (haha) providing me my OS.
What about a level 3 little person providing your business with an Internet connection?
Less money on software = more money for hardware. I can see how this can benefit Dell.
Nintendo sold a different kind of SMB-in-a-box two decades ago. I believe it was called the "Nintendo Entertainment System Action Set".
Yes, but SMB is a must for SMB.
Business. Numbers. Money. People. Computer World.
Well, for the "medium" sized businesses in SMB.... with the advent of 802.11n, wireless to your desktop is about as effective (if you've got decent gear) and frequently cheaper than stringing Ethernet cables and hooking them up to fancy switches. Or so the marketing message goes:
But I work for these people; what do I know? *shrug*
The World Wide Web is dying. Soon, we shall have only the Internet.
My workplace has a robust wifi system in place, but still has ethernet switches on the conference tables. Wired ethernet is much faster, less flaky in all OSes, and more secure than wireless ethernet.
Convert FLACs to a portable format with FlacSquisher
Just about anything with .deb works like a cross between .rpm in Red Hat type builds and .exe in Windows.
Lets take Skype for example: If you go to Skype's Linux Download page after you click on the "Download" button they ask you what distro you're using. Regardless of what it says you just need to pick the Ubuntu option. That download will be some long string of letters and numbers ending with i386.deb. Save that to your directory of choice (probably /home/user and if you're nasty /home/user/Download...in this way /home/user acts just like C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\My Documents). Now all you have to do is double-click that file just like you would skype.exe in Windows and the Synaptic Package Manager will pretty much do the rest similar to how Windows Application Manager does.
Now there are situations where its more involved like if you want to compile your own .deb package or something, or if you're installing a .bin file, but even then it isn't really too hard considering Ubuntu's deep forum support. When it comes to business environments most network admins in small or large businesses limit what a user can install anyway. If you'd want a program installed on your office PC you'd ask the admin who'd be able to take care of it regardless.
Another easy way to install apps in Linux is through the repositories and GNOME's Add/Remove Applications feature. This feature works the same in a Fedora build as it would in Ubuntu, but Ubuntu also has the Synaptic Package Manager to give you a GUI of your repository options. With these options its as easy as checking off what you want, then putting in the root password, then using the app! That's even easier than Windows!
Your webcam may be driver related in which case, yeah you'll probably be working from terminal a lot. Many webcams don't have proper Linux driver support (like my Orbit!) but that's more of a strike against the manufacturer or the community (in Ubuntu's case Canonical) than the distro itself (its not Ubuntu's fault nobody wants to get the drivers ready for your device...there are a lot of devices to figure out!).
I suspect that it could be Thunderbird, Firefox, Gimp, OpenOffice under MS Windows.
Given the close relationship between Dell & MS (read: Dell accepting MS money to decide what software it pushes on its hardware) I would not be surprised if the ''open source applications'' were things that did not really compete with MS offerings, eg: Gimp, pidgin, games, ... and avoid competing with the MS cash cows that make up MS Office & things like MS IE & Outlook.
They only have two PCs sold Ubuntu and two PCs sold with no OS - none of which are even halfway modern systems. It's almost like they don't want to make money from Linux users. You'd almost think that some large monopoly was using them for a hand-puppet.
"I once preached peaceful coexistence with Windows. You may laugh at my expense - I deserve it." Be's Jean-Louis Gass
... that the multi-year OEM contract for Dell and MS is about to come up for renegotiation.
"Why thank you for coming Mr/Mrs Microsoft-Sales-Person. We've had this interesting proposal where we have this free operating system to give out. We only have to pay about half of our prior fees you recieved and we get to customize it so that our product stands out from your other customers... in a way you wouldn't allow before. Tech support will be further outsourced to the internet support as those linux folks do love showing how smart they are (and most decent techs hit google first anyhow). So... what do you have for us today? Besides an unbalanced negotiation not in your favor?".
It'll be interesting to see if Dell sees this through or drops it once MS meets their pricing demands.
"Common sense will be the death of us all"